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How To Be A Better Boss

A portion of the cover of Kim Scott's new book, "Radical Candor." (Courtesy St. Martin's Press)
A portion of the cover of Kim Scott's new book, "Radical Candor." (Courtesy St. Martin's Press)

What makes a great boss. One Silicon Valley boss says she did it all wrong. She’s found a better way.

What makes a good boss? Or a bad one? There are a thousand answers. My guest today Kim Scott says it boils down to candor. Radical candor. Handled badly, it can make a boss seem like a first class jerk. She should know, she says. She was once a terrible boss in Silicon Valley. But handled humanely, radical candor is the key, she says. You may have your own opinion. This hour, On Point: Radical candor and the art of being a good, effective boss. — Tom Ashbrook

Guest

Kim Scott, entrepreneur and author. Author of the new book, “ Radical Candor: Be A Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity.” Co-founder and CEO of Candor, Inc. Former faculty member at Apple University, former team leader at Google and former CEO coach at Dropbox and Twitter. ( @kimballscott)

From Tom’s Reading List

Financial Times: The unvarnished truth is crucial to Silicon Valley’s success — “Bad management thrives in industries with limited competition or weak labour markets. When your employees are unlikely to leave, however you treat them, there is no incentive to manage better. Rough them up and they will resign themselves to it.”

Forbes: How To Use Radical Candor To Drive Great Results — “The workplace is yearning for candid bosses, yet bosses continue falling short. To turn the tide, Scott defines two fundamental dimensions of radical candor. They are ‘challenging directly’ and ‘caring personally.’ One without the other creates counterfeit behaviors that too many bosses deceive themselves into thinking are actually good. These are ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and obnoxious aggression. Too many bosses settle for radical candor’s cheap knock offs. We’re all guilty of sliding into these categories from time to time, so pay attention to the ones you know you’re susceptible to.”

New York Times: Four Ways to Be More Effective in Meetings — “For timid or more junior employees — or those marginalized by a workplace’s culture — speaking up can be at best nerve-racking and at worst a terrifying experience. But expressing confidence through body language and word choice can make it easier to jump in.”

Read An Excerpt Of “Raidcal Candor” By Kim Scott

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